The way that group of Primordial Elementals—let’s call them “cats” for now—moved was truly eye-opening for Yin Ren.
He was still baffled by what the other party had said. [There are other humans here.] Then he saw the group of cats waving their soft limbs, and the surrounding Other Side corridor began to spin rapidly. The cat legion followed one after another, entangling with the group of people and leapt into the vortex. The next moment, a brand-new tunnel appeared before everyone.
After one vortex came another, and physical distance became completely irrelevant. The people felt as if they were immersed in a kaleidoscope, with everything around them dazzling and bewildering. Although there was no ground beneath their feet, the cats leaped with determination. Though the paths were mostly similar, their strides were resolute.
The cats navigated with ease and took off in a certain direction.
Their destination was very close to the tunnel wall. As the cats approached the colorful edge of the tunnel, countless fragments writhed and merged, forming the outline of a hospice institution.
The wall tiles here were pristine and smooth, while over there the wall covering was corroded and peeling. Snow piled up on the windowsills, and rain tapped on the glass windows. At the same time, the courtyard’s floor tiles and weeds were stained red by the setting sun, reflecting a blood-red twilight. By the flower bed, a rocking chair gently swayed, and the “people” on it resembled dolls made of stitched cloth, with each inch of their skin belonging to a different person.
This small courtyard seemed to be pieced together from the impressions of countless people. Every detail was chaotic and fragmented, with only silence prevailing.
The atmosphere of this institution was gloomy, and combined with the chaotic scenery, it should have been frightening. However, the courtyard, benches, bushes… In every corner, there were tablecloths with cat patterns. They were so identical in style that it seemed like they were copy-pasted, and the colors were fresh and adorable.
Everyone in Shian looked at each other, unsure of how to react. Only Dr. Cat’s fur stood on end, revealing a subtly intriguing expression on its fluffy face.
Yin Ren somewhat understood it—when he was at the Fu residence, he saw those various paintings of Zhong Yi, and it was difficult to shake off that awkward feeling.
“The stains on them are identical to Gao Mengyu’s tablecloth.”
Zhong Chengshuo took two steps closer to Yin Ren.
“Lifeless objects cannot be brought in. These are probably their own imaginations.”
Since his hair couldn’t move now, Yin Ren simply grabbed Zhong Chengshuo’s hand and looked around.
Many cats didn’t follow the legion’s expedition. They coiled their soft limbs and collapsed lazily on the tablecloth, treating it as a comfortable nest. They spread out fourteen pairs of eyes on the ground, basking in the nonexistent sunlight.
Contrasting the physiques of these cats, Gao Mengyu’s cat was undoubtedly the fattest. Compared to the smallest cat in the courtyard, it was twice as big. At the moment, it was squeaking and chirping at the remaining companions, exhibiting the demeanor of a leader.
“Just a group of ‘Lonely’.”
Qi Xin crossed her arms, clearly unhappy to be challenged by such small creatures.
“They only grew stronger in recent centuries, but they do have some courage.”
As soon as she spoke, all the chattering “Lonely” cats in the courtyard simultaneously fell silent.
Led by Gao Mengyu’s cat, they lined up in front of Qi Xin according to their size, extending their soft limbs as if offering themselves to be cut or slaughtered.
Yin Ren almost burst out laughing.
“Lonely” Elementals? No wonder it got along so well with Gao Mengyu. There was indeed no hostility around. Whether it was due to lack of food or their nature, most of the “Lonely” cats were lazy and had nothing to do with animosity.
[I’m sorry!]
Gao Mengyu’s cat took the lead in apologizing, practically flattening itself like a pancake.
[We are just desperate. We truly mean no harm.]
Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo understood, but the rest of the humans couldn’t communicate with them through thoughts. To them, the cats probably just emitted an unpleasant noise.
“In Gao Mengyu’s disappearance case, this creature accidentally slipped through a gap and ended up in the human world.” As a bridge between humans and Elementals, Yin Ren quickly intervened. “Zhong Chengshuo and I have had contact with it before, and it is quite friendly towards humans.”
Seemingly to confirm his statement, Gao Mengyu’s cat clutched the tablecloth and covered its hole-ridden body with it. Unfortunately, its limbs, resembling the convolutions of a brain, still extended outward. Against the backdrop of the cute cat pattern, its appearance became even more peculiar.
Huang Jin and Ge Tingting were utterly confused, but the expression of the senior member, Lu Xiaohe, loosened slightly.
She remembered Gao Mengyu’s case.
Lu Xiaohe took a few deep breaths, finally pulling her thoughts out of extreme mode. She made an effort not to dwell on the horrors of the creatures and instead took two steps forward, extending her hand towards the cats’ soft limbs.
The cat was overjoyed and lightly touched Lu Xiaohe’s hand with its soft limb before retracting it. Two sweet “meows” were squeezed out of the holes on its body.
Yin Ren helped with simultaneous translation. “It just said, ‘I rely on consuming the “loneliness” from fresh brain marrow to survive, and humans have been kind to me’.”
“Well, I remember the case files. They eat pig brains, right?” Lu Xiaohe smirked. “Pigs are social animals, so it’s not surprising they have these emotions.”
Qi Xin still had a stern expression. “No wonder. The Other Side is so barren, while you’ve grown so fat. It turns out there were humans specifically feeding you.”
[So, I don’t want to fight humans. After we discovered those humans, we’ve been avoiding them.] The cat said.
[They might have sensed that, thinking we’re easy to deal with, so they’ve been chasing after us. I want to communicate, but they don’t understand.]
Upon hearing Yin Ren’s translation, Lu Xiaohe lost her composure first. She took a big step forward and firmly grasped the cat’s soft limb. “There are other humans here? Who? Where?”
The cat was startled by her, tilting its whole body backward.
“That’s the question I wanted to ask.” Yin Ren looked at the fourteen bright red eyes. “You said there are humans here. What’s going on?”
[I don’t know. I don’t know much about humans.]
The cat admitted honestly.
[But they will definitely come and attack soon. You can go meet them.]
……
When the cat said “soon,” it truly meant soon. Less than three minutes after the cat spoke, before Lu Xiaohe could calm down her emotions, a powerful beam of light suddenly struck the courtyard.
Flashing, dazzling radiance burst forth, causing vibrations and shaking in the small courtyard, faintly showing signs of collapsing. The cats in the entire courtyard squealed and scattered, running in all directions.
Accompanied by a massive explosion, a tremendous Evil Force washed over them.
Qi Xin stood in place, observing coldly. Yin Ren instantly wanted to erect a barrier and protect everyone. However, magic couldn’t be used, there were too many people, and their true forms couldn’t be easily revealed. Lord Ghost King was tragically stuck in place, only managing to use his body to shield Zhong Chengshuo.
As the aftermath of the explosion lingered, their enemies officially made their entrance.
Among countless flickering fragments, three young figures appeared.
The woman at the forefront had long disheveled hair, and her red shirt was torn at the edges. She stood in the front, tall and strong, laughing wantonly, constantly twirling something shiny on her fingertip—Yin Ren’s pupils contracted, barely getting a glimpse.
It was a ring attached to a bracelet.
Following closely behind her was a female police officer. The police officer’s uniform was clean, and her short hair was neatly groomed. She had a serious expression, gripping a gun tightly with the muzzle aimed at the crowd.
Behind the two women was a young man. He had a gentle and kind appearance, exuding a scholarly aura. On his chest, there hung a relatively new Shian employee ID card.
“How fascinating.”
The woman with long hair laughed.
“I mean, if you want to create cognitive pollution, at least bring out people we actually know. What’s all this?”
Her voice was loud, clear, and real.
Three humans—three humans who moved effortlessly on the Other Side, even possessing means of attack. And the faces of two of them were in the files of this mission.
Unbelievable emotions kept accumulating, causing a brief burst of chaos—
“Zhong Chengfeng!” Yin Ren pointed at the female police officer and shouted, reaching out to grab Zhong Chengshuo. “Isn’t she your sister? Her face is exactly the same as in the photo!”
Huang Jin had a more practical target. He stared at the woman with long hair in shock. “Isn’t that Meng Huai, the one who went missing?”
Lu Xiaohe’s focus was a bit off track. She looked at the man wearing the employee ID card. “That’s that person! The one who went missing two years ago in the Shian office area… I remember he was in the rear command… It can’t be wrong…”
As she spoke, her eyes gradually brightened, revealing a mix of joy and hope. She instinctively wanted to move forward but was blocked and tripped up by Dr. Cat using its body.
“Are you all idiots?! It’s been almost thirty years. How is it possible that those people have nothing to do with this?!” It yelled sharply. “This could be cognitive pollution!”
“Well, the cognitive pollution is done quite well. The acting is quite convincing.” The woman who resembled Meng Huai remarked.
“It’s just unrealistic that cats can speak human language. How about it? Did they extract too much animation information? …Shall we all transform and see?”
A group of “Lonely” cats innocently curled up—they really hadn’t done anything.
While Meng Huai joked, she didn’t slow down her actions. After adjusting her posture for a moment, she said, “Chengfeng, assist!”
“Got it!”
The woman resembling Zhong Chengfeng, the female police officer, responded and fired her gun. This time, Yin Ren remembered. He grabbed Zhong Chengshuo and Lu Xiaohe, retreating several steps in succession.
Where the bullets hit, a series of dangerous explosions erupted once again, unleashing another wave of Evil Force. Qi Xin floated calmly in the air, having made up her mind to watch coldly.
…Strange.
Yin Ren twitched his nose, distinguishing the differences in the Evil Force between the two attacks.
Each time there was an explosion, there were always two Evil Force appearing in pairs. In just two waves of attacks, there were already four different types of Evil Force.
He couldn’t figure out the principle behind it for a moment. But one thing was certain—the enemies in front of them were using Evil Force as weapons.
“Be careful.” Dr. Cat at some point had snuck up next to him and nudged his feet. “The enemies on the other side could be illusions, and these cats could be illusions too. Or even earlier—after entering the Other Side, everything is an illusion. Theoretically, it’s all possible.”
It moved its whiskers solemnly.
“If you can avoid fighting, then don’t fight. Who knows who will get hurt in the end…”
“It’s not an illusion.”
Zhong Chengshuo lifted the back of the cat’s neck and politely threw it onto Fu Tianyi’s face. He opened his pitch-black eyes wide and looked at Zhong Chengfeng not far away.
“This so-called sister of his now looks a few years younger than his physical body.”
“Leave it to me.”
With that, Zhong Chengshuo lightly patted Yin Ren’s shoulder and walked forward on his own. Then he opened his empty hands and raised them above his head, assuming a standard surrender position.
Seeing this person who appeared to be her sibling approaching, Zhong Chengfeng hesitated. She fired a few more shots, but they all landed near Zhong Chengshuo’s feet.
Zhong Chengshuo chose the most open spot in the courtyard and calmly stopped in his tracks.
The next moment, the scenery behind him changed.
Imagined memories reappeared, with half of the Zhong family’s home appearing behind him.
The repaired walls, scratched floor, old dining table, slightly greasy kitchen, outdated cabinets, and a tacky TV wall… Various scenes slowly took shape behind Zhong Chengshuo.
The elderly Zhong Youde, with white hair, was wearing an apron and carrying a bowl of stewed beef and potatoes to the table. Cheng Xuehua was holding chopsticks, her figure thin and small, with deep wrinkles on her face, like a shriveled fruit.
Zhong Chengfeng’s gunfire ceased.
The female police officer stared blankly at the scene in front of her. Her lips slightly parted, and her serious expression cracked, revealing a touch of warmth and sadness.
“Dad, Mom…”
“Chengfeng!” Meng Huai warned.
“It’s not cognitive pollution.” Zhong Chengfeng slightly lowered her gun barrel, her eyes turning red. “Home… has changed a lot, and a lot has happened… even Mom and Dad…”
Zhong Chengfeng licked her lips, took a deep breath, and paid no attention to the tears streaming down her face. She turned the gun barrel and pointed it directly at Zhong Chengshuo.
“Who are you?”
Her voice carried a sense of urgency.
Zhong Chengshuo observed her up and down for a moment without immediately answering.
He turned to Meng Huai and raised his left arm in another direction.
This time, a memory appeared of the underground elevator and corridor of Shian.
“I don’t think you’re someone who easily gets passionate. Today, I brought you here to let you see the ‘basics’ of Shian—Phenomenon A-A3, Evil Spirit.” Li Nian’s figure appeared near the elevator.
It was the familiar Professor Li that everyone knew. He still had that serious expression, dressed in a stern manner like a head teacher, and the pale reflection of a wedding ring on his slender finger.
Since it was from Zhong Chengshuo’s memory, Li Nian’s eyes were looking into the void, directly facing Meng Huai on the other side. This gaze was like Medusa’s stare, and Meng Huai froze for a full two seconds.
“Shian B-level Special Investigation Team, Unit 9, Science Post, Zhong Chengshuo.”
Zhong Chengshuo took a step closer to the two frozen individuals and raised his hands again.
“We came to the Other Side to search for clues regarding the disappearance of Meng Huai, Zhong Chengfeng, and He Huan.”
Upon hearing Zhong Chengshuo’s name, Zhong Chengfeng anxiously tried to approach, but she was stopped by Meng Huai. Unlike Zhong Chengfeng, Meng Huai’s face turned dark like the bottom of a pot.
“This is too fake. Li Nian clearly despises Shian the most,” she said. “These pieces of information can be deduced from our memories. On my end, my love life is fulfilling, and on Chengfeng’s end, her parents are healthy, as if wishes have come true… And your eyes lack a human touch. Sunken Society, right?”
[I told you it would be difficult to communicate with them.]
Gao Mengyu’s cat draped the tablecloth tightly as it whimpered and complained. Yin Ren touched its soft limbs, not knowing what to say for a moment.
He didn’t remember all the details like Zhong Chengshuo did. Moreover, there were many people present, and if he revealed his true form, it would be no different from launching indiscriminate attacks. The joy of being able to freely walk on the Other Side didn’t last long before that feeling of powerlessness resurfaced.
“If you need more evidence, I can accompany you… Lu Xiaohe?” On the other side, just as Zhong Chengshuo was about to continue negotiating, a figure stumbled forward.
Lu Xiaohe shook off the hands of Huang Jin and Ge Tingting and limped towards the other side. Her expression was somewhat twisted, filled with an overwhelming mix of emotions that ultimately flowed into her reddened eyes.
“Lu Xiaohe!” Seeing Meng Huai’s tightly gripped hand and Zhong Chengfeng’s restless gun barrel, Yin Ren couldn’t help but shout.
Just as he was about to catch up, he heard a trembling cry.
“Don’t come over!”
Lu Xiaohe continued to move forward without looking back.
“And you, Zhong Chengshuo, don’t come over either!”
Zhong Chengshuo maintained his imagination, frowning as he looked at Lu Xiaohe’s back. Yin Ren clenched his fist, completely focused on the other party, and noticed a slight movement in a strand of hair.
The two sides were not far apart, and although Lu Xiaohe walked slowly, it felt like she had been walking for a century.
“Shian B-Level Special Investigation Team, Unit 9, Science Post, Rear Command Lu Xiaohe.”
Lu Xiaohe stopped, only four or five steps away from the three on the other side. Her voice was so hoarse that it was chilling.
“I’ll get straight to the point. I reluctantly believe that you are Meng Huai, Zhong Chengfeng, and that someone who disappeared from the Shian office area. Your current actions are the basic units of the Black Seal Non-Science Post, paired with the Red Seal Science Post, along with the Rear Commander.”
“Meng Huai used to be a member of the Emergency Management Department, so she should have a way to verify the authenticity of our human identities. No matter how harmful it may be, please test it on me—of course, if you are fake, I believe my teammates will also be able to tell.”
Meng Huai narrowed her eyes. “You’ve got quite the audacity. Do you know—”
“I’m running out of time.”
Lu Xiaohe interrupted her.
She stared fixedly at Meng Huai, and the members of Unit 9 almost simultaneously took a step back. Lu Xiaohe usually spoke gently and had an incredibly good temper. They had never seen her wear such an expression.
Desire, anticipation, eagerness… along with a deep and overwhelming fear of losing and being lost.
“We have come to investigate the disappearance of Meng Huai and Zhong Chengfeng twenty-nine years ago, as well as the recent disappearance of He Huan.”
She emphasized each word.
“He Huan is my mother.”
After saying this, countless emotions found an outlet—the suppressed fuse finally burned to its end, and the imagination behind her instantly exploded.
Her mother’s embrace during her childhood, the arguments and quarrels during her student days, the leaning on each other during their university years. Lu Xiaohe gradually grew up, her baby clothes turned into school uniforms, and the school uniforms turned into plain attire. Eventually, she tightly held the medical bill and accepted Shian’s offer.
At the same time, her mother transformed from a young woman to a plump figure, only to be consumed by illness, leaving behind a withered and emaciated appearance.
The two of them underwent changes, like waves and sand.
A variety of images constructed a wall in her imagination, almost filling the sky and the earth.
And in the center, the most vivid image was the day her mother disappeared.
Lush greenery and perfect sunlight.
She vanished just like that, while those who disappeared almost thirty years earlier stood here, and those who disappeared two years earlier were also present.
But what about her mother?
“You can calculate and find countless loopholes and engage in theoretical debates for three days and nights. But I can’t wait.”
Lu Xiaohe clenched her teeth. Behind her was her entire life. They flickered incessantly, layer upon layer, weighing her down to the point of suffocation.
“Take action, Ms. Meng Huai.”
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